Kizuna Encounter
|genre = 2D Tag team versus fighting |modes = Up to 2 players simultaneously |cabinet = Upright |arcade system = MVS |display = Raster, 304 x 224 (Horizontal), 4096 colors |input = 8-way joystick, 4 buttons |platforms = Arcade, Neo Geo }} is a competitive fighting game produced by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home platform. It is the sequel to ''Savage Reign. Like its predecessor, it was ported to the Neo-Geo CD and also included in the Fūun Super Combo for the PlayStation 2 (released in Japan only). The European Neo-Geo homecart PAL release was rare, with less than 12 known copies, making it a sought-after item in video game collecting (the Japanese AES version is not rare and is identical except for the packaging and inserts).CNN.com. 8 very rare (and very expensive) video gamesRacketboy.com Holy Grails of Console Game Collecting } Gameplay The Kizuna Encounter system is similar to the Real Bout system. Notable additions include the tag system. Players have the ability to switch characters in game by pressing a special button while standing in a special zone. If a player is to lose one character, regardless of their other character's hit point, he or she loses the match. A roll system similar to the one used in The King of Fighters is also present in Kizuna Encounter. Plot One year ago, King Leo had made the Battle of the Beast God tournament in order to see on who had what it took to challenge and fight against him from within their own given time and opportunity. Nine fighters had entered the tournament from within sight and that each of them had battled against one another from within a strong and relentless manner, but in the end...Sho Hayate had proven to be the strongest competitor and that he had won the tournament while defeating King Leo (and his fake impersonator King Lion) from within the finals of the tournament. To seek revenge against Hayate and those who caused his humiliating downfall, King Leo has organized a second version of the Battle of the Beast God tournament, but this time, there's a new rule. Teams of 2 people must work together from within this new tournament so that they can either ensure victory or face defeat. The competitors from last year's tournament have learned of King Leo's new tournament and that each of them have decided to join forces with each other on either friendly or temporary terms. With the exception of Carol Stanzack (who decides to skip the tournament to continue her gymnastics training) and Nicola Zaza (who's too busy in having to work on his latest scientific project), Hayate and the fighters from the previous tournament have returned for combat and that they're ready to face the latest challenge that's presented to them by King Leo. However...the previous fighters aren't the only ones from within this tournament, as two new challengers have entered into the fray and that they have their own reasons in battling from within King Leo's new competition. The gathered fighters must be ready and prepared to not only fight against each other and King Leo from within this tournament, but also...they must deal with a possible unknown threat that lies directly from within the shadows of this competition as well. Characters Returning Characters *'Sho Hayate' *'Max Eagle' *'Gordon Bowman' *'Chung Paifu' *'Joker' *'Gozu' *'Mezu' *'King Lion' New Characters *'Rosa' - A young woman who wields a sword in combat and leads a strong resistance force against King Leo. When her young brother and a couple of her friends are kidnapped by King Leo, Rosa heads to the tournament in the hopes of defeating King Leo and saving her young brother and her friends. *'Kim Sue Il'In English version, his name is changed as Kim Young-Mok. - A young Korean man who uses a mixture of his Tae Kwan Do and bo staff skills in combat. He is a police detective who's investigating Joker's involvement in the tournament and that he seeks to arrest Joker and disband his gang, the Looly Po Po. It is implied that Sue Il is a descendant of Kim Kaphwan from the Fatal Fury series and that he shares some of his ancestor's traits (in which both of them value a strong sense of justice and that the two of them have an almost identical appearance and share many techniques). Bosses *'King Leo' (sub-boss) *'Jyazu Silber' (boss) - An unknown sadistic fighter who wears a golden crow's helmet on his head and that he dresses in the same attire as Gozu and Mezu (only this attire is black). He fights with a pair of sharp claws and that he uses relentless attacks and abilities in battle (most of them being high-powered and dangerous). Jyazu's background is shrouded in mystery and that his intentions are unknown, though he is known for being the leader of the terrorist organization, the Jaguar. He can transform into a crow at will and can mask his evil intent from his enemies, giving him an unfair advantage. References See also *''Savage Reign'' External links * * Category:1996 video games Category:Arcade games Category:Neo-Geo games Category:SNK games Category:Versus fighting games Category:Virtual Console games